I saw a web post on TechCrunch today talking about a Dutch startup called Scoutle. It is not just another blog aggregator, it is a web bot that goes out and tries to connect your blog to others of similar interests using “scouts” that you create.  All this is automated and requires very little of the blogger.  I am giving it a shot as you can see in my footer at the base of this blog.  Let’s see if it can really do what it claims.

Well I finally made the plunge and created a Facebook account.  After connecting with old friends, I went looking for a plugin to connect my blog to my Facebook profile.  Now that all is in order, I took a quick look at the news and saw a post about an Israeli jailed for a Facebook photo.  It is funny when you work on a topic, the world seems to relate as well.

UPDATE: It seems I am not the only one late to the Facebook party.  Sony just signed up as well.

Facebook, Myspace, Blogger are all great sites at connecting people but what is lost is mobility.  Twitter tries to fill this space by providing micro-blogging and access through your cell phone.  Heck even Google is expanding it’s mobile services. Continue reading

Did anyone caught CSI last week with SL tie-in?  I wonder how successful will it be to bring in mass media popularity to a community that is established and intimate.  Though they used many elements of SL, the whole thing reeked of Lawnmower Man.  A laughable premise of entering the world of a professional hit-woman and using the basic elements of social exchange to uncover her trail all in the highly polished world of SL.  As CSI plots go, this one was weak.  As for the SL tie-in, I though it was great for someone that never been inside.  My experience with SL was no where near as exciting as how television portrayed it.  It is much deeper with regards to socialization than what was produced on television but requires time to discover your place in this world, this would be lost on many fast food eaters of popular media.  Hell, I still have jeans and a t-shirt on!  As always, Hollywood went over the top, but besides the obvious false glamour, I wonder if there was any traction to the population through such advertising.  Not a big TV fan but I will follow this week’s episode online to see what happens.

Linden Labs, the company behind Second Life, is looking for a new CEO as Rosedale has stepped down. That makes sense as Linden Labs is looking to capture a larger market and is preparing to be challenged by Sony and their efforts with “Home” which looks eerily similar to SL. This is great, but on the grander scheme of social interactions, does SL makes sense? Continue reading